As part of ASAKUSA CULTURE & LIGHTS 2026, produced by HITOHATA, INC., Sensoji Temple in Tokyo's Taito City is opening a special viewing of its Denboin Garden and Ema-do Hall from October 30 (Friday) to November 3 (Tuesday, a public holiday), 2026. The event is organized by the Asakusa Culture & Lights Executive Committee.
Held over just five days, the special viewing gives visitors access to Denboin Garden — a Place of Scenic Beauty within the temple grounds that is normally closed to the public — together with the Ema-do Hall, home to around 50 large votive paintings by historical artists including Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Hasegawa Settan, and Henmi (Kano) Kazunobu.
Tickets cover both day and night viewing with same-day reentry allowed. During the day and after dark alike, a mist installation brings the garden's cultural value and stories to life in three dimensions. After dark, the exclusive Kinryu Yakai (Golden Dragon Night) program lights the garden in fantastical illumination and presents an original dance inspired by Sensoji's own Kinryu no Mai (Dance of the Golden Dragon). Note that the Ema-do Hall's special viewing is available during daytime hours only.
A limited number of tickets bundled with an illustrated guidebook, "Votive Paintings of Sensoji," explaining the temple's principal ema, are also available. Discounted advance tickets go on sale from September 1 (Tuesday) through October 29 (Thursday), 2026.
Event Overview
Dates: October 30 (Friday) to November 3 (Tuesday, public holiday), 2026
Hours: 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily (Ema-do Hall viewing: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM only; last entry to Ema-do Hall 3:30 PM, last entry to Denboin Garden 8:30 PM)
Venue: Denboin Garden / Ema-do Hall, Sensoji Temple, 2-3-1 Asakusa, Taito City, Tokyo (the special viewing reception and entrance are near the north side of Denboin Garden, by the Okuyama Gate)
Access:
- About 5 minutes on foot from Asakusa Station (Tobu Skytree Line)
- About 5 minutes on foot from Asakusa Station (Tokyo Metro Ginza Line)
- About 5 minutes on foot from Asakusa Station (Tsukuba Express)
- About 5 minutes on foot from Exit A4 of Asakusa Station (Toei Asakusa Line)
- Toei Bus, Keisei Town Bus, and the Taito City loop bus "Megurin" also serve the area
- Sensoji Temple has no parking lot; visitors are asked to use nearby parking
Mist Installation and Kinryu Yakai Schedule
The mist installation runs roughly once every 30 minutes for about 10 minutes between 9:00 AM and 8:30 PM. During Kinryu Yakai, Denboin Garden is lit up from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM, with a roughly five-minute original dance performed outside the Ema-do Hall at 5:00 PM, 5:30 PM, 6:00 PM, 6:30 PM, 7:00 PM, 7:30 PM, and 8:00 PM.
Ticket Pricing
Tickets cover both day and night viewing on the date printed on the ticket, with reentry allowed that day only.
Advance ticket sales: September 1 (Tuesday), 10:00 AM to October 29 (Thursday), 11:59 PM, 2026
Same-day ticket sales: October 30 (Friday), 12:00 AM to November 3 (Tuesday), 8:30 PM, 2026
| Ticket | Advance (tax included) | Same-day (tax included) |
|---|---|---|
| Adult (high school age and up) — Special Viewing Ticket | ¥2,300 | ¥2,500 |
| Elementary / Junior High — Special Viewing Ticket | ¥800 | ¥1,000 |
| Adult (high school age and up) — Special Viewing Ticket with Ema Guidebook | ¥3,800 | ¥4,000 |
| Elementary / Junior High — Special Viewing Ticket with Ema Guidebook | ¥2,300 | ¥2,500 |
- Tickets bundled with the ema guidebook are sold only through Ticket Pia, asoview!, and JTB Experience, Play & Leisure Ticket Reservations (JTB sales begin September 7 at 10:00 AM).
- Daily quantities are limited; same-day tickets are sold only from whatever inventory remains after advance sales, and sales end once each day's allotment sells out. Advance purchase is recommended to guarantee entry.
- Preschool children are admitted free; a ticket is required from elementary school age.
- Tickets are non-refundable and cannot be exchanged for a different type once purchased.
- Visitors may be asked to show ID confirming their age or student status.
- Guests with an ema guidebook ticket receive the "Votive Paintings of Sensoji" guidebook at entry.
- Refunds are not available for severe weather or related transit disruption once the event has taken place.
- A discounted ticket for visitors with disabilities is priced at ¥2,100 (adult) / ¥600 (elementary/junior high), the same for advance and same-day purchase, for holders of a physical, intellectual, rehabilitation, mental health, or atomic bomb survivor's health certificate (or the "Mirairo ID" app) plus one companion. These tickets are sold only through JTB Experience, Play & Leisure Ticket Reservations or Webket (from September 7 at 10:00 AM).
Where to Buy Tickets
Online: asoview!, Ticket Pia, Lawson Ticket, KKday, and Trip.com, plus JTB Experience, Play & Leisure Ticket Reservations and Webket (both from September 7 at 10:00 AM). Online sales close at 8:30 PM each event day; a system fee may apply.
Convenience stores: 7-Eleven multi-copy machines (P-code 662-266) and Lawson/Ministop Loppi terminals (L-code 35833). A ticketing fee may apply.
In person: Select JTB branches in Asakusa, Ueno, Kita-Senju, Nishiarai, and Kameari (from September 7), Matsuya Asakusa (from early September), and the same-day ticket counter near the Denboin Garden entrance, 9:00 AM to 8:30 PM each event day.
Premium Ticket: Special Prayer Service and Special Viewing
On October 30 only, a limited premium ticket combines participation in a special prayer service at Sensoji's Main Hall with the Denboin Garden/Ema-do special viewing, plus a small wooden amulet and Kannon incense that are not normally sold.
Date: October 30 (Friday), 2026, from 1:00 PM
Venue: Sensoji Main Hall, then Denboin Garden / Ema-do Hall, Tokyo
Price: ¥12,000 (tax included; adults, high school age and up; advance sale only)
Capacity: 30 people
Only guests attending the 1:00 PM prayer service on October 30 may purchase this ticket, and sales end on a first-come, first-served basis once capacity is reached. The service runs about 20 minutes and prays for household safety; guests should arrive at the prayer reception inside the Main Hall's inner sanctuary at least 10 minutes early, and the special viewing ticket is handed out afterward. No refunds or ticket-type changes are available if a guest cannot attend, and preschool through junior-high-age guests cannot participate. This ticket is sold only through JTB Experience, Play & Leisure Ticket Reservations or Webket (from September 7 at 10:00 AM).
Important Cultural Property Preservation Tour
Sensoji's Denboin — an Important Cultural Property that has been undergoing large-scale preservation work for roughly a decade since 2016 — opens its normally closed reception hall, entrance, and study for a guided tour led by a leading expert on the restoration project.
Dates: October 31 (Saturday) and November 1 (Sunday), 2026, two sessions each day at 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM
Venue: Denboin, Sensoji Temple, Tokyo
Price: ¥5,000 (tax included; adults, high school age and up; advance sale only)
Guide: Takumi Tamura, site supervisor at the design and supervision office for the Important Cultural Property Sensoji Denboin reception hall and entrance, Japanese Association for Conservation of Architectural Monuments
Capacity: 10 people per session
Sales end on a first-come, first-served basis once capacity is reached. The tour runs about 1 hour 30 minutes; guests should arrive at the special-viewing reception near Denboin Garden's north side/Okuyama Gate at least 10 minutes early. A Denboin Garden/Ema-do special viewing ticket is sold separately for guests who also want to see the garden and Ema-do Hall. No refunds or ticket-type changes are available for cancellations, and preschool through junior-high-age guests cannot participate. This ticket is sold only through JTB Experience, Play & Leisure Ticket Reservations or Webket (from September 7 at 10:00 AM).
Visitor Guidelines
- Photography is allowed in Denboin Garden but prohibited inside the Ema-do Hall; tripods and selfie sticks are not permitted in the garden.
- Entry may be temporarily limited during periods of heavy congestion.
- The Ema-do Hall's special viewing includes a smartphone audio guide — bring your own earphones, as playing it through a speaker is not permitted out of consideration for other visitors.
- There is no Wi-Fi on site, so data charges for the audio guide are the visitor's responsibility, and no audio guide devices or phone chargers are available to rent on-site.
- Congestion may add to walking time to the venue, so visitors should allow extra time.
- Denboin Garden has gravel paths and stepping stones, and the Ema-do Hall has stairs and level changes throughout; neither is wheelchair accessible, and no ramps are installed.
ASAKUSA CULTURE & LIGHTS 2026
Running alongside the special viewing, ASAKUSA CULTURE & LIGHTS 2026 presents two large-scale projection mapping displays, both free to watch: the first ever projected onto Sensoji's Main Hall, and the return of the Hozomon Gate projection that drew more than 150,000 visitors at its debut last year.
Dates: October 30 (Friday) to November 3 (Tuesday, public holiday), 2026
Hours: 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM (the Main Hall's south side and Hozomon Gate's south side alternate roughly six-minute programs)
Venue: Sensoji Main Hall / Hozomon Gate, 2-3-1 Asakusa, Taito City, Tokyo
Admission: Free, no reservation required
The projections draw on Sensoji's large votive paintings, the Kanbun Engi picture scroll that tells the temple's founding legend, and ukiyo-e prints connected to the temple, bringing 1,400 years of Sensoji's history and culture to life. The same program repeats throughout the evening, so visitors are encouraged to arrive later to avoid the heaviest crowds right after the first showing. Screenings proceed in light rain but may pause or be cancelled in severe weather.
The event is organized by the Asakusa Culture & Lights Executive Committee, produced by HITOHATA, INC., with special cooperation from JTB Corporation.
More information is available on the ASAKUSA CULTURE & LIGHTS 2026 official website.
